Drosophila Food-Associated Pheromones: Effect of Experience, Genotype and Antibiotics on Larval Behavior

Evaluating the potential toxicity of ampicillin using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism

Antibiotic resistance is an indispensable threat facing in the present era. However, the studies on long term and trans-generational effects of using drugs or antibiotics on living organisms are scarce. Emphasizing the necessity to address such problems, this study investigated the potential effects of antibiotic, ampicillin (AMP) stress on the physiology of Drosophila melanogaster across multiple generations with mechanistic details. We evaluated the larval feeding behavior, fertility, cell viability in ovary and testis, longevity, expression of methylation-related genes (dDnmt2 and dMBD2/3), and antimicrobial peptide production. Larvae exposed to AMP exhibited increased mouth hook movement, indicating altered behaviour. AMP stress significantly reduced fertility across generations, with eclosion counts decreasing notably in F3 and F4 generations compared to controls. Moreover, AMP-treated flies showed decreased cell viability in ovary and testis, leading to impaired reproductive function. AMP exposure shortened the mean lifespan of flies and upregulated the expression of apoptosis-related gene p53 in females. However, there was no significant difference in p53 expression in males. Additionally, AMP stress caused a significant decrease in Drosomycin expression in treated males, while no significant changes were observed in Drosocin and Metchnikowin. In treated females, Drosocin and Drosomycin expression increased significantly, whereas the increase in Metchnikowin was not significant. The study also revealed downregulation of methylation-related genes (dDnmt2 and dMBD2/3) in AMP-treated female flies which was normalised in the rescue flies suggesting disrupted epigenetic mechanisms. Overall, the findings highlighted the importance of evaluating the trans-generational impacts of AMP stress on Drosophila physiology and gene expression, particularly in reproductive function and epigenetic regulation. The study of the impact of widely used antibiotic, AMP on model organism, Drosophila (model organism known for its genetic similarity to human), will help in predicting potential impacts on higher organisms and human. The finding would ultimately promote proper use of antibiotics and use of alternative medicine.

Is Drosophila Larval Competition Involved in Incipient Speciation?

Geographical, ethological, temporal and ecological barriers can affect interbreeding between populations deriving from an ancestral population, this progressively leading to speciation. A rare case of incipient speciation currently occurs between Drosophila melanogaster populations sampled in Zimbabwe (Z) and all other populations (M). This phenomenon was initially characterized by Z females refusing to mate with M males. Despite the fact that Z and M flies produce different amounts of cuticular pheromones, their manipulation and that of other sensory signals exchanged during courtship behavior only marginally rescued the behavioral isolation. To further explore the putative mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, we first assessed the fecundity in matings between Z and M flies. Then, we measured the reproduction and survival in adults resulting of co-cultured Z and M larvae. In these two experiments, Z flies rarely emerged. Z and M larvae produced different amounts of food-derived metabolites which were altered in co-culture condition. This maybe related to the different bacteria composition in the gut and body of Z and M flies. However, the mating behavior of co-cultured flies did not change and their cuticular pheromone profile was slightly altered. Thus, the Z/M larval competition could reinforce the barriers induced by gametic and behavioral isolation processes on this incipient speciation phenomenon.

Aminoglycoside treatment alters hearing-related genes and depicts behavioral defects in Drosophila

The hearing organ of Drosophila is present within the second segment of antennae. The hearing organ of Drosophila (Johnston's organ [JO]) shares much structural, developmental, and functional similarity with the vertebrate hearing organ (Organ of Corti). JO is evolving as a potential model system to examine the hearing-associated defects in vertebrates. In the vertebrates, aminoglycosides like gentamicin, kanamycin, and neomycin have been known to cause defects in the hearing organ. However, a complete mechanism of toxicity is not known. Taking the evolutionary conservation into account the current study aims to test various concentrations of aminoglycoside on the model organism, Drosophila melanogaster. The current study uses the oral route to check the toxicity of various aminoglycosides at different concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 μg ml^{- 1} ). In Drosophila, many foreign particles enter the body through the gut via food. The aminoglycoside treated third instar larvae show defective crawling and sound avoidance behavior. The adult flies release lower amounts of acetylcholine esterase and higher amounts of reactive oxygen species than control untreated animals, accompanied by defective climbing and aggressive behavior. All these behavioral defects are further confirmed by the altered expression level of hearing genes such as nompC, inactive, nanchung, pyrexia. All the behavioral and genetic defects are reported as a readout of aminoglycoside toxicity.

Bugs on Drugs: A Drosophila melanogaster Gut Model to Study In Vivo Antibiotic Tolerance of E. coli

With an antibiotic crisis upon us, we need to boost antibiotic development and improve antibiotics’ efficacy. Crucial is knowing how to efficiently kill bacteria, especially in more complex in vivo conditions. Indeed, many bacteria harbor antibiotic-tolerant persisters, variants that survive exposure to our most potent antibiotics and catalyze resistance development. However, persistence is often only studied in vitro as we lack flexible in vivo models. Here, I explored the potential of using Drosophila melanogaster as a model for antimicrobial research, combining methods in Drosophila with microbiology techniques: assessing fly development and feeding, generating germ-free or bacteria-associated Drosophila and in situ microscopy. Adult flies tolerate antibiotics at high doses, although germ-free larvae show impaired development. Orally presented E. coli associates with Drosophila and mostly resides in the crop. E. coli shows an overall high antibiotic tolerance in vivo potentially resulting from heterogeneity in growth rates. The hipA7 high-persistence mutant displays an increased antibiotic survival while the expected low persistence of ΔrelAΔspoT and ΔrpoS mutants cannot be confirmed in vivo. In conclusion, a Drosophila model for in vivo antibiotic tolerance research shows high potential and offers a flexible system to test findings from in vitro assays in a broader, more complex condition.

The genetic architecture of larval aggregation behavior in Drosophila

Many insect species exhibit basal social behaviors such as aggregation, which play important roles in their feeding and mating ecologies. However, the evolutionary, genetic, and physiological mechanisms that regulate insect aggregation remain unknown for most species. Here, we used natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster to identify the genetic architecture that drives larval aggregation feeding behavior. By using quantitative and reverse genetic approaches, we have identified a complex neurogenetic network that plays a role in regulating the decision of larvae to feed in either solitude or as a group. Results from single gene, RNAi-knockdown experiments show that several of the identified genes represent key nodes in the genetic network that determines the level of aggregation while feeding. Furthermore, we show that a single non-coding variant in the gene CG14205, a putative acyltransferase, is associated with both decreased mRNA expression and increased aggregate formation, which suggests that it has a specific role in inhibiting aggregation behavior. Our results identify, for the first time, the genetic components which interact to regulate naturally occurring levels of aggregation in D. melanogaster larvae.

Pre-adult aggression and its long-term behavioural consequences in crickets

Social experience, particularly aggression, is considered a major determinant of consistent inter-individual behavioural differences between animals of the same species and sex. We investigated the influence of pre-adult aggressive experience on future behaviour in male, last instar nymphs of the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. We found that aggressive interactions between male nymphs are far less fierce than for adults in terms of duration and escalation. This appears to reflect immaturity of the sensory apparatus for releasing aggression, rather than the motor system controlling it. First, a comparison of the behavioural responses of nymphs and adults to mechanical antennal stimulation using freshly excised, untreated and hexane-washed antennae taken from nymphs and adults, indicate that nymphs neither respond to nor produce sex-specific cuticular semiochemicals important for releasing aggressive behaviour in adults. Second, treatment with the octopamine agonist chlordimeform could at least partially compensate for this deficit. In further contrast to adults, which become hyper-aggressive after victory, but submissive after defeat, such winner and loser effects are not apparent in nymphs. Aggressive competition between nymphs thus appears to have no consequence for future behaviour in crickets. Male nymphs are often attacked by adult males, but not by adult females. Furthermore, observations of nymphs raised in the presence, or absence of adult males, revealed that social subjugation by adult males leads to reduced aggressiveness and depressed exploratory behaviour when the nymphs become adult. We conclude that social subjugation by adults during pre-adult development of nymphs is a major determinant of consistent inter-individual behavioural differences in adult crickets.

Toxicological effects of ciprofloxacin exposure to Drosophila melanogaster

The abuse of ciprofloxacin (CIP) may cause serious side effects and the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Here, we determinate the 48 h, 72 h and 96 h LC₅₀ values of CIP to Drosophila melanogaster and demonstrate a series of adverse effects after D. melanogaster was exposed to CIP at a sublethal concentration (3.2 mg mL^-1). Treated individuals showed shorter lifespan, delayed development and many of the treated larvae failed to pupate or hatch. Smaller body size was observed at every life stage when exposed to CIP and the size of pupae, the weight of third-instar larvae exhibited a perfectly dose-response relationship that the larger concentration exposed to, the smaller body size or lighter weight is. Moreover, reduction in fat body cell viability, elevated oxidative stress markers (SOD and CAT) and down-regulation of diap1, ex, two target genes of Yorkie (Yki), was observed in response to CIP exposure. Most importantly, we found two types of black spot in Drosophila and the proportion of larvae with a black spot was positively related to the treatment dose, which is new in the field. This study provides a scientific basis for the potential harm caused by abuse of quinolones with the goal of urging cautious use of antibiotics.

Live yeast in juvenile diet induces species-specific effects on Drosophila adult behaviour and fitness

The presence and the amount of specific yeasts in the diet of saprophagous insects such as Drosophila can affect their development and fitness. However, the impact of different yeast species in the juvenile diet has rarely been investigated. Here, we measured the behavioural and fitness effects of three live yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae = SC; Hanseniaspora uvarum = HU; Metschnikowia pulcherrima = MP) added to the diet of Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Beside these live yeast species naturally found in natural Drosophila populations or in their food sources, we tested the inactivated "drySC" yeast widely used in Drosophila research laboratories. All flies were transferred to drySC medium immediately after adult emergence, and several life traits and behaviours were measured. These four yeast diets had different effects on pre-imaginal development: HU-rich diet tended to shorten the "egg-to-pupa" period of development while MP-rich diet induced higher larval lethality compared to other diets. Pre- and postzygotic reproduction-related characters (copulatory ability, fecundity, cuticular pheromones) varied according to juvenile diet and sex. Juvenile diet also changed adult food choice preference and longevity. These results indicate that specific yeast species present in natural food sources and ingested by larvae can affect their adult characters crucial for fitness.

Yeast quality in juvenile diet affects Drosophila melanogaster adult life traits

Diet quality is critical for animal development and survival. Fungi can provide nutrients that are essential to organisms that are unable to synthetize them, such as ergosterol in Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila studies examining the influence of yeast quality in the diet have generally either provided the diet over the whole life span (larva to adult) or during the adult stage and have rarely focussed on the juvenile diet. Here, we tested the effect of yeast quality in the larval diet on pre-adult development and adult weight, survival, reproduction and food preference. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added in three forms in three treatments-live, heated or dried-to food used as the juvenile diet or was not added (empty treatment). Adults resulting from the larvae raised on these four juvenile diets were all maintained on a similar standard laboratory food diet. Our data indicate that yeast quality in the juvenile diet affects larva-to-pupa-but not pupa-to-adult-development. Importantly, adult survival, food preference, mating behaviour and cuticular pheromones strongly varied with the juvenile diet. Therefore, the variation of yeast quality in the pre-adult Drosophila diet affects key adult life traits involved in food search, reproduction and survival.

Biostimulation and reproductive performance of artificially inseminated rabbit does (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Biostimulation is a non-hormonal and practical technique that has not yet been widely utilised when applied immediately before insemination to improve reproductive efficiency in livestock species. This study was conducted to determine the influence of short-term male biostimulation on behavioural and reproductive performance of inseminated rabbit does. A total of 142 female New Zealand White rabbits were randomly assigned to 3 groups. Females were either exposed to male odour (Odour group) or an adult aproned male (Male group), while the remaining does that were neither exposed to the male odour nor the adult male are considered the control group. All females were inseminated after the 2 h exposure session. Conception rates were determined by abdominal palpation 12 d after insemination. The results showed that conception rate of the male odour group (79.59%) was greater than that of male presence group (76.09%) and that of the control group (68.09%). Moreover, biostimulated does showed significant behavioural activities during the 2 h exposure session compared to the control group. Although no significant differences were recognised, litter size at birth and at weaning was slightly increased in biostimulated compared to control females. Nor were there any significant difference in serum oestradiol concentrations between treated groups. Conclusively, short-term 2 h biostimulation of rabbit does resulted in the appearance of various behavioural responses followed by differences in conception rates between groups after routine artificial insemination.

Maternally-transmitted microbiota affects odor emission and preference in Drosophila larva

Experimental studies show that early sensory experience often affects subsequent sensory preference, suggesting that the heterogeneity of sensory cues in nature could induce significant inter-individual behavioral variation, potentially contributing to maintain intraspecific diversity. To test this hypothesis, we explored the behavioral effect induced by variation in the levels of a self-produced chemical, acetoin, and its link with intraspecific diversity. Acetoin is a pheromone-like substance produced by gut-associated microorganisms in Drosophila. Using wild-type Drosophila melanogaster populations producing variable acetoin levels, we (i) characterized factors involved in this variation and (ii) manipulated some of these factors to affect acetoin responses in larvae. We found that increased and decreased variations in acetoin levels were caused by microorganisms associated with the outside and inside of the egg, respectively. Wild-type larvae preferred acetoin-rich food only when they both produced and were exposed to substantial amounts of acetoin. The removal of the outside of the egg or the genetic alteration of olfaction abolished this preference. In contrast, larvae exposed to high doses of synthetic acetoin were repulsed by acetoin. The similar effects obtained with freshly caught wild-type lines suggest that this acetoin "production-preference" link underlies the diversity of acetoin-producing microorganisms among natural D. melanogaster populations.